Saturday
Aberdeen
Darling,
This is, we expect, our last day at the civvy school and as it is only a half day we have not done a great deal of work, as you can imagine. Still, all things being considered, we have done reasonably well here despite all the fooling. Most of the lads can receive at between 6 and 8 words a minute, which is not bad going when you consider that they apparently only expect 8 words a minute after five weeks. The only thing is that while we have been here we have done nothing but Morse, but when we go to Torry we will have one or two other subjects. In addition there will be a higher standard of receiving expected. As proof that we are apparently a bunch of Jonahs, we have discovered that a new admiral has been appointed to the unit. From what we can hear he has begun to tighten things up all round. Previously there were only about four exams in the whole course but now they have a weekly test and if you cannot make the grade at a fairly high standard, something like 85%, you have to come back to school for four nights a week. I can see that taking some of the nonsense out of some of the lads who have done little but fool around up to now. Whereas in the past one was safe for the whole course after the five-week exam, people are now being sent back to their bases as stokers, sick berth attendants etc, if they don’t maintain a reasonable weekly average. Still, in many ways that is just as well, as it will cut out a lot of wasted time. It may also mean that those who do settle down to work consistently will have a chance to get up to the standard needed for leading telegraphist, which carries more pay. I hope this proves to be the case. So much for school and for hopes for the future. I’ll be able to tell you a bit more next weekend when we have seen how the course runs.
Percy has let me down. He and Ralph Oliver, the other fellow I mentioned in a previous letter, have changed courses and are now at a different school training as wireless mechanics. This is a much more technical course, but is right up their street as both were in the Post Office in peacetime. I’m sorry they have changed because now I’m more or less left on my own. Gibby is in the other class so I can’t pair off with him at school as I did with Ralph. In addition, the wireless mechs have a good deal of homework each night and have to go back to school two nights a week. That means that if we do want to go anywhere special, like skating on a Friday, I shall have to go with a crowd of fellows in whom I have no real interest. Still, we are going to do our best to use our weekends together. Today, for instance, the three of us are going to see ‘Hatter’s Castle’ at the Odeon. After church parade we will probably try another walk along the River Don tomorrow, providing the weather is reasonable. We will not do so badly if we can manage Friday, Saturday and Sunday as days of relaxation and go very carefully on the other days. Anyway, we will have to try that programme and when all is said and done should not spend a great deal during the weekends if we are out in the open a fair amount of the time.
“Slops day” was postponed until today and was rather disappointing. I could not get my summer underpants, which was the main item on my list. I did get half-a-dozen handkerchiefs which I’ll probably get you to take home to put into stock against civvy needs. At 3d a time they are a good “buy”.
I had been expecting to hear from Eric after what you wrote, but the note on top of Thursday night’s letter explains why I haven’t heard. Your note about the post deliveries is interesting but unfortunately I have little chance to write in time to catch the 4.30 unless I write at night and post it the next day.
You have struck the same snags about the children that I had in mind. I, too, think Wendy more adaptable to surroundings than Michael. He is the one I’m thinking of. Still, for all we know he may give us both a surprise although I do hope Mother doesn’t take him to Sunday school. That could, to say the least, make things a little complicated. Still, I think I might, somewhere between now and then, contrive to drop her a more than gentle hint, probably fairly near the time.
Yes, I did receive your list of dates re vapours and will pay due attention to them. I really am sorry about the Whit weekend because it would have been ideal for us. I cannot give you the exact date of the exam but it should be three weeks from now – that is about five weeks from the time we came up here.
Now I must go if I’m to keep my date with ‘Hatter’s Castle’. That’s the only date I’m likely to make here. Don’t worry about the forward women here or anywhere else for that matter. Forward, backward or coy, sweetheart, they can’t compete with you. As the lads here say, “you’ve got something the others haven’t got” – and do I know it. There go my bellbottoms again!
Bye, my sweet. My bellbottoms tell me I still love you. As if I need them to tell me, but I’d better go before I throw Percy on the bed! It’s the Navy coming out in me.
All yours, my sweet,
Arthur X
Apr 111942